In certain electrical switchboard designs, there is a potential danger, upon removal of a switching device from a live switchboard, that the free ends of the device line straps can swing into contacting engagement with one another to produce a line-to-line fault if the bolted connections of the line straps to the bus bars are not tight. Underwriters Laboratories has recognized this potential hazard and has required that a line strap be restrained from angular movement when the bolt clamping it to the bus bar is only finger tight. To meet this requirement, switchboard manufacturers have proposed to use two bolts in the line strap-bus bar joint. Another proposal is to configure the bus bar and/or the line strap such that they somehow interfit to maintain a fixed angular orientation therebetween despite a loose joint. The former solution requires a large bus bar cross-section which is impractical in smaller switchboards and lighting panels. The latter solution is expensive since it requires a redesign of the cross-section of either or both the bus bar and line strap.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an electrical joint which maintains the angular orientation of the conjoined parts despite loosening of the joint.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an anti-turn clip for incorporation in a bolted electrical joint, wherein the clip engages the conjoined parts to preserve their angular orientation despite loosening of the bolted joint.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an anti-turn clip of the above character which is inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install with existing joined parts, and reliable.
Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part appear hereinafter.